We'll Never Be Royals
by stefandiedforcaroline
Summary: A Steroline/Kalijah fic set in the Upper East Side of New York City. AH- or is it?
1. Prologue

Caroline Forbes and Katherine Pierce have _always_ been inseparable. The finest Manhattan has to offer, the two girls have always been at the top of the food chain, sharing the crown of queen bee and always getting what they want- or so they leave most thinking. While Caroline has her eye on her long-time best friend Stefan Salvatore, his girlfriend, Katherine's twin, is always _right in the damn way_. And Katherine? Well, she's been eying one of the illusive Mikaelson siblings, the newest additions to the Upper East Side that have left everyone reeling from the mysterious air around them- but it's Caroline who's become the object of affection for one of those three brothers, and it's left her in a bitch fight like no other against the sole sister of the siblings.

Whoever said the lives of New York City's elite are boring most certainly didn't know this group.

Everyone knows you simply do _not_ fuck with Caroline and Katherine. They can tear you down, ruin your reputation, and make you into a social pariah with a snap of their well-manicured fingers- but they're not the ones to consider dangerous. The Mikaelson siblings are hiding secrets, secrets that could very well destroy everyone involved. Call our queen bees oblivious, but the more informed sources will say they simply think the benefits outweigh the risks. Whatever it is, one thing's certain: they're in too deep to turn back now.

Welcome to Manhattan, loves- home of the beautiful, the rich, and the deadly.

* * *

A/N- My first Steroline/Kalijah fic! Also the first fic I'll be publishing. I have to say, I'm really excited to write this and get feedback on it along the way. There's going to be hints of other ships, and a lot of fan favorite characters are going to be in here, but the main point is the Steroline/Kalijah plotline, and the secret of the Mikaelson family. (You can probably already guess what it is- or can you?) For anyone who reads this, I want to go ahead and say thank you for taking the time to read my work. I write for fun, but it really does make me happy when others read what I write! That being said, Chapter One will be up very soon- this was only the prologue! (Don't worry. The chapters are much longer.)


	2. Bloodstains, Ball Gowns

It all started with a simple invitation.

"They're throwing a _masquerade __ball_? Like, classic-style masquerade ball?" Caroline was sprawled on Katherine's bed as the brunette called back to her from within her walk-in closet, and her voice was positively dripping with disdain. It was Saturday, which meant the two of them were going to go out shopping- their usual ritual- but Caroline had showed up at the Pierce mansion with a fancy envelope in her hand and a pissed-off expression on her face.

"Yeah. Ball gowns and everything. I only know that much because creep-of-the-year left a fucking _dress_ with the invitation he dropped off."

"How do you even know it was Klaus, Care?"

"Mom told me. You know, before I got the fifth degree over why he was leaving me such an expensive gift with the invite. She thinks I'm seeing him behind her back." The Forbes household had been tense as hell when Caroline had left, but whatever. This was the summer before college, and she was _not_ gonna waste it fighting with her mom over her stalker. She flopped from her back to her stomach, propping herself up on her elbows to look at the invitation she held. A scoff promptly followed. "Seriously, why would I even give him the time of day? I'm not going."

"Uh-uh. You _are_ going. And we're going dress shopping today." Katherine had leaned out of her closet to give Caroline a _look_, and the blonde sighed.

"Does this have anything to do with Mr. Law School?"

"_Duh_. We both know I get whatever I want," she tossed back with a sly grin. "He just hasn't realized that yet."

"Yeah, I'm supposed to, too, but your sister's kind of fucking that up." The two stared at one another for a long moment, and then glanced at the door, counting to five silently. Checking to see if Elena was eavesdropping on their conversation as she had so many times before. When they heard nothing, Caroline continued, "I don't know how you got stuck with such a whiny brat for a twin."

"Ugh, _stop_ reminding me of that. Look, just give it time, okay? I've got plans."

"Plans?" Katherine laughed, ducking back into her closet, and Caroline scrambled to sit up more fully. "_W__hat_ are you talking about?"

"You remember Stefan's brother?"

"Damon the Dick? Yeah, why?" How could she not? Caroline had dated him for like, five seconds her Junior Year.

"Elena remembers him, too. _Really_ well."

"Wait, you're not saying-"

"That her eyes have been wandering?" Another laugh from the closet. "Oh, yes. Little miss goody-two-shoes can't stop drooling over him." Elena thought she could hide it, but Katherine had always been the more shrewd of the two. It was only a matter of time before it created a rift between Elena and Stefan, and Katherine knew Caroline had had a thing for the guy since Junior Year, so- being the fabulous best friend that she was- she was going to speed up the process.

It would take an idiot to not see how well Caroline and Stefan would work together, but he'd been a bit of an idiot and had started dating Elena when he and his brother had first moved to the Upper East Side. Granted, Katherine thought her friend better than going after her twin's sloppy seconds, but whatever the angel wanted, she made sure she got. After all, the two had been linked at the hip for years. They might be vastly different in some senses, but Katherine always looked out for her little ray of sunshine. "So when is this fancy ball?"

"Tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow night?!"

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure they sent the invites out last-minute because Rebekah wants to make sure nobody has time to look better than her." With a roll of her eyes, Caroline set the invitation aside and hopped from the bed to go stand in the doorway of Katherine's closet. She was smirking- she had a hell of a war going on with the Mikaelson girl, so one-upping her at her own party was a must. "I think she needs a lesson in Upper East Side etiquette."

"Rule number one," Katherine intoned, her own smirk much more devious than her friend's. "This is our home, and she'd best remember how to bow to the queens."

"And _that_ is why I love you, Kat. Come on. We've got a ball to prepare for."

* * *

That night, everyone was abuzz with the news. The Mikaelsons had invited everyone who was _anyone_ to the upcoming masquerade ball, and with a few teasing lines about it being a 'night of intrigue' combined with the mystery surrounding the family, everyone was eager to accept. The guest list left no surprises whatsoever- the Bennetts, the Salvatores, the Forbes, the Donovans, the Lockwoods, and the Pierces were the main families that everyone took an interest in, especially considering the children of these prestigious families all tended to run in the same social clique. There were a few other names on the guest list that people didn't recognize, but maybe they were family friends coming to visit or something of the sort.

And while some were more reluctant than others, everyone would be attending. Most came in the hopes of seeing the sort of cat fight one could only find among the elite of the city, because it was no secret that Rebekah Mikaelson and Caroline Forbes already loathed one another- and of course, any enemy of Caroline was an enemy of Katherine. Rumor had it, however, that the two queen bees may have finally met their match in the British blonde.

The ball would either mark the two queens holding to their crown more firmly than ever, or the usurper beginning to pry it from their grasps.


	3. Wanna Be Adored

A/N: Here goes chapter two, but due to one of the comments, I'm going to make this clear right now- Stefan will _not_ end up with Rebekah. And I will _not_ put Caroline and Klaus together. This is not a Klaroline fic, this is not a Stebekah fic. I do not ship either of those ships. This is a Steroline and Kalijah fic, and if you don't like that, then please, don't read it.

* * *

_Deep breaths. She can't be planning anything atrocious, right?_ Oh, if only she could believe that. Caroline had tried, and tried, and _tried_ to get Katherine to tell her just what she had planned for ousting Elena's crush on Damon- because clearly, she planned to, in efforts to break Elena and Stefan up- but, come the next morning, she hadn't gotten even so much as another hint. It was frustrating to extreme extents, and unfortunately, that frustration was to be taken out on her father, of all people.

"Come on. You said you'd be in town this weekend! You _promised_ you would come!" The Forbes mansion- once more, home to shouting, except it sounded extremely one-sided. The blonde scowled at her reflection as she vainly tried to figure out a way to finish brushing her teeth _and_ chew her father out. "Okay, you know what? I don't care if it's her birthday. I asked you to come because I needed to talk to you about college-"

"_Which we can easily discuss over dinner another time, Care. I completely forgot her party was going to be a camping thing this year, it's not my fault-"_

"How is it not your fault when _you_ made the fucking promise?!"

"_Caroline! Language!"_ Well, it kind of had gone to shit after spending so much time with Katherine, but whatever, she _usually_ filtered herself when talking to her parents. The hand wielding her toothbrush waved dismissively towards her mother as she poked her head into the bathroom, looking confused.

"Daddy, when you promise me something, I expect you to keep it. I hardly see you on holidays, and that's if I'm lucky and your boyfriend's little princess isn't demanding even more of your time!" Silence from the other end of the line, save for a heaved sigh she was certain was a cross between frustration and exasperation. Her voice lowering from a shout, but no less angry, she hissed, "Just forget it, alright? Have fun with your new family, as usual. I'm done." With that, she hung up and tossed her phone on the counter with a clatter and shoved her toothbrush back in her mouth as she glared at her reflection. Her mother remained in the doorway, looking concerned.

"Maybe you should call Katherine or Stefan, honey. Something's obviously bothering you."

"Ohmph, re-" - pause, spit into the sink so she could actually talk when she offered her mother an eye roll- "Really, Mom? You noticed? You gonna finally play the attentive parent?" Ever since her father had moved out, announcing he was gay and promising he'd still be around for Caroline (such bullshit) the whole mother-daughter relationship Caroline had once had with her mother had flown out the window. Liz liked to blame it on the atrocious hours she now had to put in to keep up with the lifestyle her daughter had always known, but she _did_ have time off. They just seemed to lack an ability to get along. They both hated the fighting, so it ended with them avoiding each other and Caroline clinging to her father for attention.

You know, because _that_ was going so freaking well. It hadn't been bad, before he'd met his boyfriend, but his boyfriend had a daughter her age, and Bill seemed far too concerned with catering to his new family to remember he had a daughter that loved him more than she could describe. She didn't usually snap at him like this, but between her frustration with Katherine, her stalker not showing any signs of giving up (and, in fact, redoubling his efforts for her attention), and watching her best friend date someone that wasn't her... it was taking its toll, severely. This morning wasn't different from any others, and once she'd finished getting cleaned up in the tense silence after her question, Caroline was all too happy to huff and dodge around her mother to go lock herself in her room for a while. She had a party to go to tonight, but for now, she'd just lose herself in her favorite movie and brood for a bit.

Or, well, that had been the plan. Her phone ringing interrupted her hunt for her _Gone With the Wind_ DVD, and she answered without looking at the caller ID, expecting her father. "I _really_ don't want to talk, Dad, seriously!"

_"Uh... wow. Dad. You don't normally call me that, Care."_ Whoops. It wasn't her dad, it was Stefan, and she instantly felt horrible.

"Ohmygosh. Stefan, I am _so_ sorry."

_"Nah, don't worry about it. Hey, since when are you fighting with your dad? I thought the family war was between you and Liz?"_

"It was. Is. Ugh, I don't know anymore." At the very least, he understood. She'd told him how much she hated what her family had become, and in those times when she felt weak, unwanted, she went to him. As much as she loved Katherine, Caroline didn't like showing the other girl any signs of weakness. They were warriors together, killer queens of the UES, so when she needed someone to hold her when she was weak, she called Stefan- but he didn't sound his normal self. He sounded quieter, and though most thought his seriousness was a permanent trait, he wasn't like that with her. She flopped back onto her bed with a sigh. "But something's up. I can tell. You've got your serious voice on, and we talked about this-"

_"Yeah, yeah. No serious voice allowed. It's just that, uhm. Well. Elena and I broke up."_

Caroline nearly toppled forward, she sat up so fast. _What?!_ Oh God, had Katherine done something? As much as she loved the idea of Stefan being single again, he'd been with Elena for a year and a half now. He was bound to be hurting if they ended things, and she wasn't so selfish as to want him to go through that pain. She'd wanted a break-up to be _his_ decision, because it would make _him_ happy.

"Y-... you broke _up_?! You were fine yesterday! What happened?! Did she dump you?! Did you dump _her_?!Wait! Wait!" She could hear Stefan's slight chuckle at her freak-out, and the inevitable inhalation that would lead to him saying something, but before he could, she pressed on. "Call me lame, but I was totally about to drown out my own troubles with someone else's via a movie. You know, the healthy way of coping. _So_, since this isn't a conversation we should have through the phone, you get your ass over here _right now_ and come join me."

_"Did you just invite me to come watch Gone With the Wind with you?"_

"...I never said Gone With the Wind."

_"Caaaroline."_

"Okay, fine, yes, but to be fair, Scarlett's problems are like, massively bigger than ours, you have to admit. So what do you say? You in?" She caught her bottom lip in her teeth as she waited for his response, the fingers of her free hand tapping an uneven staccato against her knee.

_"Yeah, okay. I'll be there soon."_


End file.
